Glass-furnace.



., TEL. E 'MLLERQ GLASS URNACE.

APPLIOATIGH FILED ATR. l1, 1912. 394,37@ famme@ July 21, wm

L. H. MILLER.

GLASS FURNAGB.

APPLICATION PILED APR. 11, 1912.

/vv//y/ 4// SEBBTSHSHEET 3.

Patented July 2L 1914.'

R. E. MLLER.'

GLASS FURNACE.

APPLXGATIGN FILED APR. 11, 1912.

Patented July 21, 19141.

'7 SHEETS-SHBBT 5.

R. H. MILL GLASSVPU APPLICATION FILE ER. 'AGB D APR.11, 1

Patented July 21 '7 SHEETS-SHE www SN @@@QMQQ MMM ff/Z395 R.. H. MILLER.

GLASS PURNACB. AFPLIGATION PILED .APR.11,1912,

jlwl; Patented. July 21, 19m

7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

U U UHUHUHUIIUHUIIU A ima nn sTATnsr ion.

ROBERTII. MILLER; vor* sT. ILOUIS,'i/IIssoUiti, 'Ass'IGNoR To LAcLnDE-ciiRisTr CLAY PRODUCTS COMPANY, or sT. LoUIs, MIssoUnI, n CORPORATION or MISSOURI.

GLASS-FURNACE.

Torill whom, it/nay concern Beit known that I., ROBERT H. Minnen, a

Specification of Letters Patent.

citizen of the United. States, residing at the city of St'.- Louis,

State ofi-Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements a specification. v

This invention relates more. especially to pot furnaces for glass, and has for its main generalobject to provide an improved construction, combination .`and arrangement of parts in furnaces o 'f this 'characterby means adjacent in Glass-Furnaces, of-Wh'i'chthe following is' of 'Whichthe temperaturefcanvbe maintained' substantially uniform throughoub theiiiterior'j of. furnace chambers o-f 'great length.

Toward he.' attainment lofthisobject, my.

steady lire Vfrom' rents being caused to discharge. downwardly A'the' center fofutlie .'furnace. 1d1

Lmeans of this construction7 certa-in' .objec- ""'tiona`b1e features, I which are encounteredinhepmegenerative or reversing'ffurnaces, are "viated entirely, such as theioss of" heat @Scand gas in the reversals.

throughout.

Furthermore, my invention overcomes certion or another over a hearth of extended i length, With the. result that the temperature and Working conditions were not uniform To overcomethis ob] ection th e present invention contemplates a steady nre from both vends toward 'the center, 'and a downward discharge `which draws the-fire .down about the pots instead of permitting it to travel alongthe roof, vas happens in the' long furnaces inWhich-the 'tire travels the tain .objectionable features of those types of regenerative furnaces in whichthe gases are cause'd-to'travel continuously .in one vdirec-' l entire length of the hearth'in one directiononly. In consequence, a lower-cost of melt-L.

ing, as Wella's a reductionof time, results. Une of the Ob] ects of is to' provide an improved recuperator con- 'Vstructiom" according. to which l'the products of combustion are causedl to travel vat a rela- 'Veiocity *when at their highestJ the maximum offre be obtained. B y this,means, the gas and 4air are raised to the temperature, 'whereby entering v the furnace hearth..

Another object is to' provide an improve@ dispostimifofthe recuperating elements ac cor di n gtowhich' the-now of the f ist the present invention.

ratenteriJa'iy ai, i914.

I to increase the heating effects, and Lthe'ro v'f of-tlie fuel-gasis facilitated to preve ie' depositof'solid. carbonaceous ,elements carried in 'suspension by th'e inficwing gas.'

.A more specific object is to proyide an improved construction according to 'which the recupera-tor portions of the furnace canhe airs.

` Other 4'and further objects Willappear in,

the specification, 'and be ','more specifically pointed out. in the'l appended claims', refer-e. -encebeing .had tothe accompanying dra-ivi.

ings enemplify'ingvthe .invention,' and `in which "l 'Figure 1 isa vertical' longitudinal section 'along theline t-Ifof Fig. 2- 'and 'along the imei-1 of Fig. 8 of a pot glass furnace constructed inaccordancewith the principles: of` theipresent invention. Fig; 2 is 'a 4'horizontal section .on lineH-fH,"Fig. -1.v

readilyicleaned and made accessible for re- 1.v Fig. i is a Vertical transverse section 'on vviii, Fig. i. rig. .9 is a negeren- 1 tary vertical longitudinal section of a' modi- -fied construction' of the down-draft discharge outlet.v Fig. lO-is a view. s imilarto Fig. 2

of -a modification.' 11 is atr ans verse vvertical sectional View through'the gas in letsof the modification shown in Fig. Vl0'.

Fig'l'. 'Fig'. 5 is a hor1' zontal section on the broken line V-ev, Figa' 12 is asimilar View throiigh'theoutf lets. Fig. 131s a similarviewthrouglfijthe v uir inlets. Fight is a horizontal section- 'alo-ng the line 14T-141 of Fig. 12..

ln the adaptation of Vmy invention sho'ivn` in the' drawings, the combustion chamber '1 is of great length compared to' its width,- the' furnacehcing' therebyadapted to I receive a relatively'l'arge .number of .glass -mel'tin'g pots, and to have said pots arranged'in'posi# tions jWhereinthey Will all receivev approxiheat under the mately the same amountfof uni rmconditions created by the construct'ion and arrangement'.A of parts to be' hereinafter fully described in connection-With a recuperator` of pe-4 culiar construction' to be hereinafter pointed a hearth of 'abled to `embody great relative lengthby providing a down` .draft discharge outlet` 2' at the longitudinal* center of said hearth,'thus adapting theffuel s gas tob e introduced at both ends simulta-y 5 neously 'to flow in counter'currentsf toward the 'center of the furnace, a construction which not only ,'reduces'the length of the.:

anes to less-than one-half of what' they would "be did they pass the 'full length ofthe u)A hearth; but, by reason of this construction,"

chamber 4 .'which, vas shown in Fig. 8

7 branches olf into galleries 5 leading to the air recuperators, and galleries 6 leading to the gas recupe'rators.` From the galleries 5 and 6, these products of combustion are conveyed through vertical shafts 7 to horizon-4 :tally disposed channels 8 which extend lon-l gitudinally of the hearth'from said 'shafts 7 beingodset by construct-ing'e air section ,of relatively great cross. sectional area in l comparison to the cross' sectional area of t-lie to vertical4 shafts' 9 vwhich, in turn, convey said 4products to av series of horizontallydisposed return channels. 10 through which the.

gases pass on their way to outlet chambers 11 and 12, respectively, one of said chambers receiving -the products. from .the gas 1re-- cuperating section .13, andthe other receivfy ing the products from air recuperating section 14 (see Fig. 5).

The chambers 11 and l2 thefiue 15 leading to the stack, the discharge from the chamber 11 being damper 16, and the. discharge from the chamberA 12 being cdntrolled by a damper 17, these dampers providing means for modifying the velocities of the products of combustion flowing from the gas and air sections,4

respectively. As a'result, the temperature in these sections can be regulated, thus permitting the furnace `to becontrolled-more eiiiciently. i

' As shown best in Figs. 1 and 5, the recuperators 'at each end of-thel furnace are channels 8 vertically, these shafts being adapted to receive the 4oleanings from the channels S which may be' scraped thereinto by an operator .working in the shafts 7, or

in the shafts 9. To enable such` operator tol' gain access to the shafts 7, 9 and 18, I proi vide removable flared blocks 19.

Referring now more especially to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the products of combustion, as they leavethe shafts 7 ,are `permit-v ting,y a much greater cross sectional area through lwhich to How than is the case when they enter the channels 10 on their return toward the stack. This feature of my device insures, in a simple and eiicient manner,

that the products of combustion, when at their lhighest heating efliciency, will pass more accessible, so thct the increased de- 7 with theresult that the discharge.` into K l 'the gases l'passing therethrough. controlled by a v -its regenerator enters' anupwardly Vinclined with lrelatively slow velocity through the recuperato'rs, thev air and gas being passed. -around said channels 1n such manner as 1.o strike these hottest'po'rtlons just prior 'to entering the furnace hearth.

' vThe embodiment of the shafts y18 in 'the -recuperator construction is'of great assist.

anceinmaintaining the channels 8 ingoed operating ,condition` by making the parts posits ywhich .take place by reason of the reduced velocity at'thispoint'are easily and conveniently removed. Said shafts 18 are moreover of greatutilityyin making the interior of the recuperator accessible for repairs andthe like. l

Referring now to Fig. 3l of the drawings, it will be noted that the .air recuperator section 14 comprises a large'number of hollow tiles` which are arranged in'staggered. relation so as to baffle the passage of the air i 4there-through for 'increasing-'the heating y efficiency; the increasedresistance offered to the passage of the air by this construction v gas 'recuperati'ng .-.section 13. lIn the g'as f recuperating section, the hollow tiles are spaced at v greater 'd1stancesl and v1n. almev95 Iment .v in vertical ser1es,=.soasv to' ai'ord straight passageways therethrdugh; the purpose' of this vv'arrangement beingyto obviate, as, far as possible, all deposits of carbon lfrom f 10Q As shown in-Fig.. 6the gas upon 'leaving passagewayf20-which leads to the vertica1 `inletl 21 of thefurnace.v The air' section of fthe recuperat'or, on .the other hand, dis- 105 charges upwardly through the gallery 22' 'Which, as indicatedby dotted lines 'in Fig.

1, merges linto the gas duct 20 near the upper fend thereof, so -that the `air` andl gas' are l mixed prior to their. discharge into the fur- '110 nace,l the mixing chain-bers 23.*facilitat'ing' this action. provided with shafts 18 which-'cut allv of the I is admitted to the recuperators oneither side,

duct 24 immediately-115 Referring now to Figs. 1v-Zand' 5, the gas preferablyA through a below the duct 15 leadingl to' the stack, :the

`floor 25 of the said gallery'of thefrecuperator- Ibeing inclined upwardly -to aid in. defiecting "th'e jgases towardthe recuperator. kIrlorder 4 to distribute the"gas-more uniformly-.over 120 the recuperator, the partition `26 separates. the gas into twol lbodies which -mov`e 'up- .wardly throughtherecuperator with comV paratively small resistance, the reduoedheating contact provided bysthis `construction being 'compensated for by the heat which 1s usually present in-gases received from-the' producer in furnaces'lof this' nature. .l

The airgc'onduit27? '(see Fig) is, in the.

:presenti-embodiment of my invention, `di .130"

vided into four ga-lleries 28 which lead fromthe conduit ,275- at a right angle thereto and discharge intothe air section 14' of, therecuperator..onjeither end. rl`he top'walls 29 C ofthe cliinineydfucts y15 form the footways of a transv'c 'gallery 3Q: which extends through the furnace-beneath the discharge outlet 2. The gallery gives access to the interior of the recuperato'rs by the removal of one'or more 'of the blocks 3l which constitute the inner transverse walls of said reprojects upwardly from the floor 33of the.

air', on the other hand, enterin through the conduits 27 passes 2510. -i als@ duced on 'either --discharges -intothe .parallel galleries on 4product iscuperators.-

In the modified construction ofthe discharge outlet shownin F ig. 9, I provide a central transverse partition wall 32 which discharge. Chambers 34, this construction providing-'separate discharge outlets 35, one for the gases traveling from' each end of the furnace. f

' '.I'Figs. 10 to 14; I have shown a slightly modified form' of furnace, in which I provide .a' pair of outlets `2a and 2b, respectively, at each side of the furnace as shown in Fig. provide at each end of the fur nace a pair of gasinlets 2Oa and 20b leading.

to mixing chambers 2,3*a and 23h, respectively. Located adjacent 'to the passages 20 and 201. are 'the air inlets 22a and 22b also leading to the respective mixing chambers52.3%? and23b and intersecting --the corresponding 'gas' ini lets adjacent their top.

A@ partition member 40 may be placed as 4,shown in Fig. 14 to entirely separate passages-5 from passages 6.

The operation of the furnace is obvious from the..description heretoforegiven, and briefly stated, is as follows: The gas'intro vside throughtlie intake 2li either side of the partition 26, andfrom thence upwardly through the recuperator section 13` inl which it is raised to the desired temperature prior to its intermixture with the air in the mixing chambers 23. The

into the" ga leries 28 and upwardly through the sections 14 ofthe re-v cuperator, and thence through the passageway 2 2 into the mixing chamber, its direct course' intothe furnace 'hearth leading directly acrossthe upper Aend of the passageway .20, through which the gasl discharges upwardly'. 'd

Passing from the bridge wall 36, the intermixed gases land air. are consumed in the hearth of the.fu`rnace; and during c0mbus tion,b-y reason of the inward-travel over butone-half'of the length of the hearth, 4and by.' reason lof the position 'of the discharge outlet 2, are-'caused to' envelop the glass melting vpots within the .furnace in' a heat which' is s ubstantially-uniform*throughout the fur. nace hearth, the'result being that a better secured',rthe time` in the l,heat Vis 'relative velocities and volumes of gasan'd reduced, and the life of the pots is increased,

sincel the stresses created `by unequal heating and'cooling 'are done 'awaywitlr The products'of combustion discharging therein.

By manipulating the damper gates 16 and the recupeator section than are y 17, which control the discharge of the prod-V ucts of combustion into the chimney ducts 15 from the gasy and air sections,'-'resplecn tively, it will be readily appreciated that thc air can be very closely regulated; and hence the relative temperatures in the gas and air sections 'of the recuperator can be deter mined to a nicety.in accordance with the best operating conditions. of the furnace.'

The embodiment of the dampers 16. and 17,4'.

arefeatures of peculiar serviceability ,in a device of this character, inasmuch as 11il the event of the recuperators on one end loecOming .unfit for service, said dampers can be' entirely closed, and the gas admissioirto the injured side shut off, thus throwing that 'end of the furnace out of commission. If, therefore, under these conditions, the vertical opening on the injured side be temporarily closed, andthe passages through the gallel ies 5 and 6 on that end be likewisev closed the furnace` can be continued in operation from. the other end.

In the form of furnaceshown in lFigs. 10

to 14 it is obvious that a pair of current-'s will be'formed along` each side of the fur nace thus providing amore direct course forthe heating currents and a consequent higher efficiency. In this form with the. partition member in .place'as lshown in Fig. 14

outlet 2b will communicate onlyl with pas? Asages' 5 --with passages 6. In the event that only one side 'of the and outlet 2a will communicate only furnace is to be used the inlets and outlet on the other side may be bricked up and the partition member 40 removed.

It will .be appreciated that according to the principles of the present'` invention, the

"furnace disclosed in the specification and ted to bey (':onstrutledl for drawings is adap or producer` the burning o-f oil, natural gas,

gas, without variation in theV construction of the furnace proper, and. therefore,1 this furnacecan be modified forchanging fromi it 'iso

vnatural gas or oil be used vfor a fuel, the oil and gas can be introduced through the crown or rear Wall of chamber 23, see Fig. l,

V4If it-be desired,both recuperators can be of great importance inasmuch as With a re used for recuperating air; Furthermore, should one side of therecuperator be put out of commissiomthe furnace can .be held on one side While the Adamaged side is being repaired.' lt Will be appreciated. that this is generative fur-nace,-. if one side becomes disabled, the entire furnace must be shut down.

I claim:

l. lnfa glass furnace, side, end, ltop and bottoni Walls inclosing a substantially rectangular hearth chamber, saidend Walls be 'ing providedivith mixing chambers therein and burner openings leading from said niiX- ing chambers to said hearth chamber, said .furnace being provided with gas and air supply ducts leading to saidmixing chambers, the bottom Wall of said hearth chamber being provided with a substantially centrally located down-draft opening.

2. In a glass furnace, side, end, top and 'bottom Walls inclosing a substantially rectangular hearth chamber, said end Walls be ing provided with mixing chambers therein and burner openings 'leading therefrom, said furnace being further provided with air supply ducts leading to said mixing chambers, said and air ducts being in communication adjacent their communication with said mixing chan'ibers .vhereby air and gas delivered through said ducts will be coniiningled when entering said initiing chamber, *said bottoni wall of said hearth chamber being provided with a st taiitialb; centrally located down-draft opening einreby the heating gas delivered by said burner openings may be discharged through said discharge opening.

3. In a. glass furnace, side, end, top and bottoni walls inclosing a substantially rectangiilar hearth chamber, each of said end walls being provided Witha plurality of ing provided with a cle-fleeting Wall located vbeneath said discharge opening and serving mixing chambers vtherein together' -with15f i gs to establish heating currents from each end of said hearth chamber toward the center thereof.

Ll.. ln a glass furnace, side, end, top and 61 bottom Walls inclosing a substantially rec tangular hearth chamber, saidendwalls being provided with mixing chambers therein and burner openings leading from said mixing chambers'to said hearth chamber, said furnace being provided with .gas and air supplyv ducts leading to said mixing chambers, thebottom Wall ofsaid hearth chamber being provided with a substantially centrally located down-draft opening, said furnace beto divide the gas discharged through said' opening.

5. ln a glass furnace, side, end, top and 7 bottom Walls inclosing a substantialy rectangular hearth chamber, said end Walls being provided with mixing chambers therein and burner openings leading from said mixing chambers to said hearth chamber, said furnace being provided with gas and air supply ducts leading to said mixing chambers, the bottomwvall of said hearth chamber being provided with a substantially centrally located down-draft opening, said furnace being provided with a dei'iecting Wall located beneath said discl'iarge opening and serving to divide the gas discharged through said opening, dividing Walls extending from said deilecting 'Wall and serving to further divide the discharged gas.

ln testimony whereof, I have subscribed y my naine.

ROBERT H. MILLER.

Witnesses:

JOI-iN H. Fissa, F. JULiUsoN. 

